


Winning

by FallingLikeThis



Series: Oscar Night [2]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Academy Awards, Actor Louis Tomlinson, After Party, But also, Established Relationship, Famous Louis Tomlinson, Famous/Not famous, Flirting, Fluff, Getting Together, Humor, M/M, Non-Famous Harry, Sequel, a lot of feelings, because Flashback!, it's in the flashback, oscar night, sap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-23
Updated: 2019-07-23
Packaged: 2020-07-11 22:55:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19935877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallingLikeThis/pseuds/FallingLikeThis
Summary: Louis remembers this feeling well. The fizz of excitement in his veins, the flutter of nerves in his belly, the niggle of doubt in the back of his mind that maybe he wasn’t good enough. But he’s got something different this year, something new and wholly pure to keep him settled.“Baby, calm down,” Harry laughs as Louis fidgets again in his seat in the limo. “You’ve got this. There’s no one who deserves this more than you.”“That’s what I thought last year,” Louis remarks tugging at his tie until Harry captures his hand and cages it in his own.OrLouis' up for another Oscar. But this time, he's got Harry by his side.





	Winning

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is a sequel to last week's wordplay fic. You may need to read that one first to get the full experience with this one. 
> 
> This is part of a Wordplay prompt challenge for the prompt "eminent". To read the amazing fics that were written by the others on this prompt, [click here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/eminent), and to see all fics written as part of the challenge (including years 1 and 2), [click here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/wordplay_fic_challenge/works). You can also find the masterpost for this year’s challenge [here](https://wordplayfics.tumblr.com/post/185709101043/wordplay-2019-every-week-for-five-weeks-a-prompt).

Louis remembers this feeling well. The fizz of excitement in his veins, the flutter of nerves in his belly, the niggle of doubt in the back of his mind that maybe he wasn’t good enough. But he’s got something different this year, something new and wholly pure to keep him settled. 

“Baby, calm down,” Harry laughs as Louis fidgets again in his seat in the limo. “You’ve got this. There’s no one who deserves this more than you.”

“That’s what I thought last year,” Louis remarks tugging at his tie until Harry captures his hand and cages it in his own. 

“Well, I dare say you won something better than a prestigious piece of tin last year,” Harry grins at him, leaning in to press a soft, slow kiss to Louis’ lips. 

“Yeah, I did,” Louis agrees, tangling his free hand in Harry’s hair to pull him closer and kiss him deeper. “I definitely came out the biggest winner last year.”

“Awww,” Harry coos with a smirk. “Sap.”

“Shut it, you,” Louis kisses him one more time. He knows they’re close to their destination so he helps Harry get his hair back under control and they both straighten out their tuxes, jackets unbuttoned to make exiting the limo a little easier. 

They pull up to the red carpet and Louis glances at Harry one last time, receiving one of those disarming smiles that always seems to make his heart lift before the chauffeur opens the door. He smiles back with a little wink for good measure and then steps out of the limo, smoothly buttoning his jacket before reaching back to hold a hand out for his date. 

Harry takes his hand and exits the limo with a grace he doesn’t usually possess. He never said anything but Louis knows that he practiced so he wouldn’t embarrass Louis by falling on his face. Truthfully, Louis doesn’t think it would be possible to be embarrassed by Harry. Louis is so proud of him, proud to have Harry on his arm and in his life. He can’t believe that a year ago he was green with envy over his ex having Harry as a fake date and now Louis gets to have Harry for real. He knows his fondness is showing on his face the second Harry looks at him and melts from a very serious expression into a smile that’s equally sappy and loving. Sometimes it’s like there’s no one else in the world but the two of them.  Harry does that. He makes the world stand still and everything else fade away just when Louis needs it most.

* **A Year Ago** *

“I’m just saying, I think I have something better to offer,” Harry replies, lifting Louis’ hand to his lips for a kiss. 

“You know, you may be right.” Louis agrees, biting his lip flirtatiously. He lost an Oscar tonight. But that’s in the past. He can’t do anything about that. Right now, however, there’s a beautiful man in front of him possibly proposing something that could be better than a hunk of tin and a moment in the spotlight. “I can’t say for sure until you tell me what  _ exactly _ you’re offering though,” he replies coyly. 

Harry raises a brow in what looks to be a challenge, his lips quirked into a self-assured smirk. “How about a night somewhere far away from your ex’s ostentatious party, a bottle of champagne stolen from said party, and, if your  _ really lucky, _ ” Harry leans in close, his breath hitting Louis’ neck as he whispers, “some good conversation.”

Louis rears back from Harry, his own challenge written on his face. “Is ‘good conversation’ what they're calling it now?”

“Maybe it is.” Harry’s wicked grin grows as he blinks slowly at Louis. He’s so confident and sexy. 

_ Fuck the Oscar _ , Louis thinks. He’d rather take Harry home tonight. He clears his throat and looks at Harry very seriously. “I’d love a ‘good conversation’ or two,” he says, making the innuendo very clear and relishing the way Harry licks his lips at the thought, “but I have one condition.”

“Name it,” Harry says immediately like there’s nothing in the world he wouldn’t do to make Louis happy. 

Louis grins, a twin to the sinful smirk that Harry’s already wearing. “We take all the champagne we can possibly carry.”

Harry laughs, shaking his head a little but not enough for Louis to get the impression he’s saying no.

“Well?” Louis asks, just to check. “Is it a date?”

When Harry looks at him, Louis is engulfed in the delight and fondness and lust in his gaze as Harry nods slowly. “It’s a date.”

“Good,” Louis replies. “Race you to the kitchen!”

He takes off with a laughing Harry Styles chasing behind him. It’s the first night in years that he’s not aware of every eye that’s watching him. 

***Present Day***

“And the winner for Best Supporting Actor is…”

Louis clenches his eyes shut, whispering a mantra of “ _please be me_ ” while Harry holds his hand tightly and laughs at his antics. Louis can’t help it. He really wants this. An Oscar is the ultimate symbol of eminence in a field that will chew you up and spit you out faster than you can  _ say _ eminence. It’s possibly a little stupid to want it so much, he knows that. It’s still just a dressed-up piece of tin at the end of the day, but Louis loves what he does and is it really so wrong to want to feel like it loves him back?

“Louis Tomlinson!”

“Louis,” Harry has to say, giving his shoulder a little shove as Louis keeps his eyes clenched shut. “It’s you, baby. You won.”

“What?” Louis asks, opening his eyes to stare at his boyfriend. “I won?”

“Yes!” Harry answers with the biggest smile he’s ever seen. “I knew you would.”

“I-- me?” Louis checks again? Looking around at all the people standing and clapping for  _ him. _

“You,” Harry answers softly, pulling Louis up from his seat and squeezing him tightly in a hug before pushing him gently away. “Now go get that Oscar before they change their mind and give it to your ex again.”

Louis runs to the stage. 

Harry is still laughing at him when Louis gets his Oscar in his hands and turns to the microphone. 

“I--uh. I had an acceptance speech memorized,” he says, leaning into the microphone, “just in case I won. But I think I had an aneurysm when my name was called and so it’s gone now.”

Everyone laughs and Louis can’t really see beyond the first few rows but that’s okay because he can see Harry. He can see the wink that Harry sends him and smile on his face and once again, the world just kind of  _ stops _ . Louis takes a deep breath and speaks only to Harry. 

“I need to thank our screen-writer and director, John Schubert, and the rest of the cast of  _ Fools Gold _ that helped make this film Oscar-worthy to begin with. You all deserve one of these in my book. But most of all, I need to thank the person who has been the greatest, most wonderful influence in my world and the absolute love of my life, my boyfriend Harry Styles. I definitely wouldn’t be here today without him…” Louis points back to his seat, “I mean, I’d still be  _ over there _ if he hadn’t pulled me out of my chair.”

Perhaps the whole theater laughs but Louis only sees Harry, laughing through the tears shining in his eyes.

“Thank you, Harry,” Louis tells just him. “For everything you are and everything I am because of you. You make me better in every way. I love you.”

He only has time to see Harry mouth the words “I love you” back before they’re directing Louis off the stage and announcing the next category. 

*****

Louis wishes he could skip the winners' interviews at the end of the night. Ever since he was led back to his seat, Harry’s been ansty to leave, pawing at Louis in ways that mean they’re going to have some seriously good  _ ‘conversation’ _ when they get home. But he grins and bears it, trying to ignore the lustful looks Harry is giving him throughout. 

Just when they think they’re in the clear, they pass by Tyler, Louis’ ex who had won the award last year and he tries to pull Louis into a hug as well as into his interview. “Louis will be at the afterparty, won’t you, Louis?” Tyler asks and Louis can see how strained his smile is. It’s quite similar to the smile Louis wore last year. Louis doesn’t feel sorry for him. 

“Sorry, Tyler,” Louis says, removing Tyler’s arm from his shoulder. “Can’t make it this year. But good luck with your party.” Louis pats him on the shoulder and takes Harry’s hand, walking all the way back to their limo before breaking out into cackles. “That felt really good.”

“Forget him.” Harry pushes Louis against the car, ending his laughter abruptly and kissing him with fervor. It’s intense and passionate and Louis was sure a few minutes ago that Harry wanted nothing more strongly than to get Louis home and in bed, but as Harry kisses him, content to bruise his love into Louis’ lips, he thinks maybe what Harry really wanted was just a moment to themselves. Maybe  _ he _ needed a moment for the world to stand still. So Louis tries to give it to him. He tangles his fingers in Harry’s hair and kisses him back with just as much love and devotion, unhurried and unbothered by anything that exists outside of their little bubble. 

“Louis,” Harry murmurs into his lips. “Lou.”

“Yes, my love?” Louis asks between kisses. 

“Marry me,” Harry breathes, licking into Louis’ mouth between requests. “God, please marry me.”

“Wait,” Louis stops them, holding Harry back from kissing him again. “For real? You want to marry me?”

“Louis,” Harry whines, making grabbing hands for him. “Yes. Always. But especially after what you said tonight to the entire freaking world, Louis. I love you too, by the way. More than anything.” He reaches for Louis again, no doubt hoping for more kisses. 

“Yes,” Louis says, making Harry freeze in his movements.

“You’ll marry me?”

“Yes. Tonight, tomorrow. Name your date,” Louis replies, smiling when Harry squishes him up against the limo once more and kisses him senseless before they crawl inside the car and make their way home. 

They have an Oscar-themed wedding. 

Tyler isn’t invited. 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed another glimpse into this Louis and Harry's lives! Thank you for reading. Here's a [fic post](https://hi-larrie-ous.tumblr.com/post/186495849214/winning-by-fallinglikethis-this-is-a-sequel-to) if you'd like to share.


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